Security Manual

David Brooksbank

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351901390
• Edition: 8
• Topic: Política y relaciones internacionales
• Subtopic: Seguridad nacional

Security Manual provides practical guidance on all aspects of security work and is a ready made source of information for all members of the security profession, including managers, supervisors and trainers. This eighth edition has been fully restructured to better reflect recent changes in the criminal law, fire protection and security practices. New chapters on powers of arrest, industrial disputes, conflict resolution, dealing with emergencies, cultural awareness and door supervising have been added, including the latest information and procedures that should be adopted in relation to an act of terrorism. The manual continues to pay attention to the law of theft, other criminal offences affecting security and the basics of security practice, and can rightly be regarded as the standard overall work on the subject and a practical reference for existing security practitioners and those who are aspiring to enter the security profession. Security Manual is also ideal for those seeking professional qualifications such as: NVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Security Guarding and for Supervisors; NVQ Level 3 in Investigations; C&G, BIIAB and NCFE qualifications in Door Supervision. Security Manual is the essential guide to this subject, and has been described as 'standard issue for every security officer, along with the uniform'.

1 Basics

‘Security’ is an occupation that encompasses many types of duty and skill. Even the terminology applied to its workforce varies, but in this manual the terms ‘security officer’ or ‘professional’ are preferred.

Security, in the sense of prevention of loss or injury, may be defined as ‘the protection of assets of all kinds against loss from theft, fire, fraud, criminal acts or other injurious sources’. ‘Property’ is sometimes substituted for ‘assets’ but the latter is better because it includes confidential information and trade secrets that are important to their owner. There are marginal activities that need some poetic licence to fit into any abbreviated definition, such as the provision of security professionals for crowd control at sporting events, pop concerts and the like, where the cost of special duty police has become prohibitive.

Duties and responsibilities differ widely; security officers may provide out-of-hours static protection to a vulnerable site entirely on their own or they may be members of an organised force working regular shifts in a large industrial complex. In the former case the officer may well have been supplied by a contract security company and furnished with a sheet of instructions that apply to that particular site. In the latter they are likely to be working in accordance with much more detailed ‘standing orders’ laid down by the employer.

In the retail sphere of supermarkets, large stores and shopping precincts, security in the form of uniformed personnel is a visible deterrent to shoplifters and hooligans and gives confidence to customers and shop assistants alike. It also provides support for plain-clothes store detectives who are now more likely to be victims of violence than in the past. Owing to the growing tendency to sue for damages on the slightest pretext, a store detective needs thorough training in the legal considerations associated with making an arrest, because an unjustifiable action may be costly for the employer.

Few companies conduct their own cash carrying, sensibly making use of contract security companies equipped with purpose-built, radio-equipped vehicles, data tracking systems and trained crews. Such companies frequently diversify by transporting computer data and valuable packages. Most companies, however, concentrate on meeting guarding and patrolling requirements and there is a growing tendency, based on economic and administrative reasons, for them to be asked to supply uniformed personnel to supplement or replace in-house security staff for access control or routine patrolling.

As crime continues to grow, and with it fear, security has become more important in every sphere of life. Indeed, there is a public acceptance of the context of security. Quite apart from personnel, there has been a vast expansion in the manufacture and installation of burglar alarms, closed-circuit television (CCTV) and video recording, and in the installation of metal roller shutters and other forms of physical protection. In business, the value of regular risk assessment has been recognised as necessary to counter, among other threats, those of fraud, industrial espionage, disaster and terrorism.

This manual is designed not for specialists but for professionals involved in manned guarding, and also for supervisors and managers who are in day-to-day contact with fellow employees and the public, and who seek guidance to perform with confidence and efficiency. They require sufficient knowledge of the law, industrial relations and other relevant matters to be a company asset rather than a source of risk to their employer.

Why Security Staff?

Skilled personnel are expensive to employ and the reasons for incurring the cost of employing security professionals are directly related to the foreseeable risks of not doing so. Electronic forms of protection, structural improvements and effective use of modern communication systems can reduce the numbers of security personnel that are necessary, but in many cases there is no substitute for making security personnel available. The following factors will influence the decision to employ security professionals:

• Industrial and commercial. To ensure the privacy of the premises and the business by excluding intruders, potential thieves, unwanted callers and other undesirables (access control).
• Public demand. A visible presence in shopping precincts and the like, to give confidence to customers by deterring hooliganism, violence, theft, drug taking and other sources of annoyance.
• Insurers’ insistence. The presence of security professionals may be a condition of providing cover to premises, their contents and users. Research and governmental contracts may impose similar conditions.
• Loss experience. There may be unacceptable levels of theft or damage.
• Impracticality. There may be no other measures that are more suitable to the area being protected.
• Risk limitation. The prevention, detection and reporting of fire, theft, criminal damage, flooding, gas leaks and other hazards.
• Necessary tasks with security implications. The recording and controlling of vehicular traffic, visitor reception areas, out-of-hour’s communications and enforcing company rules.

Recruitment

People of all types and within a wide range of age groups may be acceptable as potential security professionals, providing they hold a Security Industry Authority licence and have certain qualities, including:

• integrity
• common sense
• ability and willingness to learn a new profession
• good health.

Objections to the wearing of a uniform may have to be overcome, and a change of relationship with fellow employees and members of the public is a factor that must be recognised. To employers a security professional may be seen as a representative of ‘management’ who is there to exercise discipline; to the public the security professional can no longer be a spectator at incidents but must be seen to act or lose respect and credibility. In addition, the hours of work may be long and unsocial.

The work of the security officer entails the following:

• shift and weekend working with socially inconvenient hours;
• the possibility of short-notice overtime working and shift changes;
• working alone on occasions;
• an element of personal risk of violence, for example, when carrying cash;
• using initiative when dealing with incidents that are not covered by instructions or training.

In-house security, where staff numbers and turnover are apt to be limited, offers little opportunity for internal promotion, but with the advent of examinations and recognised qualifications, career advancement may be possible in a wider field. Contract security is an expanding market where the need for competent supervisory staff will inevitably increase and those qualifications will prove invaluable.

There are few types of employee with the potential to cause so much trouble in so short a time for their employers as security staff. Officiousness, truculence, harassment and unjustified action against fellow employees may lead to industrial trouble. Any of these, or being rude or off-hand towards a customer or visitor, might alienate that person against the company and may result in lost business as well as generating a complaint against the security officer. If contract security is providing the service, its clients may terminate the agreement and serious cases of neglect of duty or misbehaviour could lead to legal action.

Responsibilities

During the training of security officers, some mundane aspects of the job are not always emphasised to the extent they perhaps merit. The following lists of do’s and don’ts, which are echoed later in the manual, may be helpful to a new officer and act as a reminder to his longer-serving colleagues.

Do not

• Act as if or imagine that you have the authority and powers of a police officer. A uniform identifies you but conveys no legal power beyond those of an ordinary citizen.
• Criticise management or its decisions to fellow employees or outsiders. Criticism may be repeated to your detriment and may be harmful to management and customers because security personnel are generally regarded as an authoritative source of information.
• Gossip about matters that are strictly ‘security’ issues; for example, observations on suspects or secreted property, suspicion about individuals and weakness of security arrangements. Similarly, do not discuss confidential information about the company’s activities that you acquire in the course of your work. This sort of gossip makes industrial espionage easy.
• Expect, solicit or accept favours from those with whom you come into contact in the course of your work. The offering of gifts is often the first step in involving a security professional in corrupt behaviour.
• Show favouritism, allow privileges or permit relaxation of instructions in respect of anyone, whether a fellow employee or an outsider.
• Lose your temper under provocation. It may make you act irrationally. Provocation or aggression is sometimes a deliberate ploy by offenders.
• Use obscene or abusive language when dealing with fellow employees, customers or the general public. Doing so exposes personal limitation and diminishes respect.
• Let yourself become bored to the detriment of your performance and your value to the employer. Boredom will soon show in your appearance and deportment, and may lead to you overlooking important matters where you should have taken action.
• ‘Act the hero’ in attempting something with no hope of success and certainty of injury. Use common sense. A good witness is infinitely more valuable than a brave but badly battered person who recollects nothing.
• Think that you have nothing more to learn about security work. When in doubt ask rather than risk making a fool of yourself.

There are of course other ‘don’ts’, but experience has shown that those listed are the most common sources of trouble.

Do

• Remember that the image you project is all-important in obtaining the respect of those with whom you come into contact. If you forfeit that respect, your job will be less pleasant and you will be less effective. Your dress, deportment, manner and appearance matter. It is important to look interested in what is happening around you and to be polite, patient and good-humoured when dealing with people.
• Always remember that goodwill is an important factor in your relationships. Be as helpful as you can, be consistent in your performance of the job and keep promises, otherwise you will risk creating a lasting grievance. Behave with clear impartiality and even-handedness.
• Study your company’s rules and instructions until you are fully familiar with them.
• Consider your job and how you should behave in foreseeable circumstances. If you are in doubt about what action should be taken, ask in advance. Know where to find contingency plans for emergencies such as fire, bomb threats and explosions, and read them occasionally.
• Take notice of everything of a routine nature that occurs in your area of responsibility, including who does what, when, where and how. This will help you decide whether events or behaviour are unusual to the degree of meriting investigation.
• Learn from the mistakes and misfortunes of others. If you see anything in the media that could have a bearing on your work, discuss it with colleagues and superiors.
• Remember that your employer’s interests are all-important, provided they are pursued within the law. Never give mistaken loyalty to a colleague who is behaving dishonestly or playing the fool. Such behaviour reflects badly on the whole security force.
• Ask if you do not know. Faced with an unforeseen problem, use your common sense to deal with it. If you think that security arrangements can be improved, do not hesitate to report or mention your suggestions.

There are times when security officers are alone in premises, and such occasions provide an excellent opportunity to examine the surroundings in detail. Contravention of health and safety legislation may be noticed or wastage identified. Such observations are to the employer’s advantage and may in the long term instigate processes that will save the company money.

What Might Be Encountered?

Occasionally, unusual incidents may occur that will attract the attention of senior management. How these are handled by the security staff will reflect the efficiency of both the security professional and the department as a whole. Such incidents could include the following:

• theft, fraud and false pretences
• fire or safety hazard
• criminal damage
• assault and wounding
• forgery
• drugs usage
• bribery and corruption
• sexual assault or harassment
• civil trespass
• hoax bomb calls and evacuation
• acts of terrorism.

These categories will be considered in detail in later chapters. For now it is enough to note that a security officer must have sufficient knowledge of the criminal law so as to avoid making mistakes that could prove costly to himself and his employer. Fires and accidents form a different category of incident from the others. The most common incident is theft (see Chapter 8). Theft automatically raises the question of powers of arrest (see Chapter 10) and, in the case of employees, management policy. Many companies always prosecute outsiders but exercise discretion in respect of their employees, preferring dismissal as a disciplinary sanction.

Considerations that are not discussed elsewhere in the manual but are nevertheless important to a security officer include the following:

• What discretion does the officer have to immediately involve the police? This would usually be in connection with persons arrested, break-ins, the presence or pursuit of suspects, serious thefts, assaults and the like requiring ambulance call-out, or other urgent matters.
• Who in management would make the decision to call the police? What is the company policy?
• Who would be informed or called out to incidents and in what sequence?
• Who will deal with enquiries from the media, either at the scene of an incident or with telephone requests for information? Security, unless authorised, should not take it upon itself to disclose information.

Security and Police

Security officers and the police have the same objectives, and any antipathy between them has been largely dissipated by the passage of time and common interests.

The security officer should act as an exemplary citizen and be as helpful as possible to the police. However, if instructions given by the employer involve illegal action, the excuse of ‘acting under orders’ will not exonerate the security officer from blame.

An employer’s policy towards the reporting of offences and the prosecution of offenders may not be fully understood or agreed with, but must ...